رضا شهابی فعال کارگری عضو هیات مدیره سندیکای شرکت واحد اتوبوسرانی تهران و حومه از تاریخ 11 خرداد 1393 در اعتراض به انتقال غیرقانونی خود به بند 12 زندان رجایی شهر کرج دست به اعتصاب غذا زده است.

رضا شهابی در تاریخ 22 خرداد 1389 توسط ماموران امنیتی بازداشت شد و در دادگان انقلاب اسلامی تهران به ریاست قاضی صلواتی به اتهام فعالیت تبلیغی علیه نظام به یک سال حبس تعزیری و به اتهام تبانی به قصد اقدام علیه امنیت ملی به 5 سال حبس تعزیری محکوم شد. رضا شهابی به مدت 19 ماه در انفرادی زندان اوین نگهداری می شد.

این فعال کارگری زندانی خواسته های برحق خود را که از حقوق اولیه ی انسانی و یک زندانی است در نامه ای به دادستان تهران همراه با اعلان رسمی اعتصاب غذا اعلام نموده است. خواسته های رضا شهابی در نامه ارسالی به آقای جعفری دولت آبادی دادستان تهران به شرح زیر است:

۱- بازگشت به محل قبلی زندان اوین بند ۳۵۰

۲- مرخصی استعلاجی جهت درمان و عمل جراحی دیسک کمر ( به دور از استرس و بگیر و ببند و حضور ماموران زندان که باعث ایجاد رعب و وحشت و مزاحمت و ناراضتی به مراجعه کنندگان و کادر بیمارستانی و تیم پزشکی از جمله پزشک و پرستارو غیره )

۳- اجرای ماده ۱۳۴ قانون جدید مجازات اسلامی ( قانون تجمیع)

۴- اجرای قانون آزادی مشروط.

حمایت هر چه گسترده تر و بیش تر از این فعال کارگری که برای رسیدن به حقوق اولیه ی خود که از آن محروم است و به خاطر آن دست به اعتصاب غذا زده است، موجب برآورده شدن مطالبات این کارگر زندانی خواهد گردید. با امضای خود از خواسته های رضا شهابی حمایت کنید.

Call to Action: Support Reza Shahabi

The Islamic Regime of Iran Will be Held Accountable for Reza Shahabi’s Life and Well-being

             Reza Shahabi, the Treasurer and Executive Board member of the Syndicate of workers of Tehran and Suburbs Vahed Bus Company, known as "Vahed Syndicate", "Tehran and Suburbs Vahed Bus Company." is a prisoner of consciences and has been on a hunger strike since 1 June 2014, in protest to his unexplained and unjustified transfer from Evin prison to the Rajaie Shahr Prison in Karaj.

            Reza Shahabi had been imprisoned at notorious Evin prison, since June 2010. He was brutally attacked and beaten during his arrest and interrogations, and has severely suffered both physically and psychologically. According to his latest statement, Reza spent nineteen months in solitary confinement, and during this time his family was not informed of his situation.

            He has been sentenced to six years of imprisonment, banned for five years from any trade union activities, and a fine of 7,500,000 Toman, (about US$3000) on the sham charges of “propaganda against the state” and “acting against national security”. As the result of his long term psychological and physical abuses, he now suffers from multiple illnesses, including, but not limited to severe neck and back pain associated with disc herniation,  numbness of feet and hands,  liver and kidney complications, decaying of his lower vertebrates, and heart issues.

             Reza Shahabi underwent cervical spine surgery on July 24, 2012, and was transferred to Evin prison shortly after, without being allowed to be healed from his surgery. He was temporarily released on bail on January 7, 2013, after a three week hunger strike, requesting to receive medical treatments outside of the jail. Once again, despite his needs for further treatments, he was forced to return to jail on April 15, 2013.

           On October 19, 2013, Reza Shahabi once again was transferred to a hospital due to numbness of his left foot and severe back pain. It was seriously recommended by his doctors, that Reza shahabi has to receive hydrotherapy and physiotherapy in a stress free environment outside of prison and that without appropriate treatment the entire left side of his body could be paralyzed.                           

             According to previous statement by the Appeal Court, Reza Shahabi had to be released on March 2014, but he has received a new statement, ruling that he would be released on May 2015, if he pays a (7 million Toman) fine, otherwise his jail time will be extended to May 2016.

            As the International Alliance in Support of Workers in Iran has brought up to surface, we believe that “The Iranian government is pursuing, among other repressive policies and practices, a strategy of slow and gradual death towards political prisoners, by making them subject to severe torture, medical neglect and gross mistreatments by prison authorities.”

            Friends and comrades, once again Reza Shahabi has seen no other options but going on a hunger strike. The Rajaie Shahr Prison in Karaj, is one of the oldest jails in Iran and lacks the minimum health and safety standards and has been a house to only convicted offenders and inmates charged with drug-related cases, but the Iranian regime has recently transferred many political prisoners to this jail, portraying an attempt to punish them for the crimes that they have never committed.

Reza Shahabi’s health and well-being is immensely at risk, both by living in sucha hazardous environment and his continued hunger strike since 1 June 2014.

            We call upon the progressive international community to stand with us in condemning the Iranian regime for its systematic tortures and mistreatment of all the prisoners in general and political prisoners in particular. Even those political prisoners, who have already been sentenced to imprisonments, are not safe from constantly being threatened by the regime to receive new jail sentences as a punishment for expressing their just needs and demands.

            Reza Shahabi is a prisoner of conscience and he has to be treated fairly and all his needs for medical treatments and observations must be adhered to by the Iranian regime.

Please stand with us in calling upon the Iranian regime to grant Reza Shahabi’s demands on:

1-To be transferred to his previous ward, number 350 at Evin’s prison.

2-To receive sick leave by the Iranian regime to receive treatment and surgery on his lower back disc without pressuring or creating disturbances for his medical team.

3- Implementation of the Article 134 of the new Islamic Penal Code (Aggregation Rule).

4-To be granted Parole release.

            Reza Shahabi has been punished all along for his union activities that is and has been a basic workers’ right practiced across the world and Reza Shahabi and all other imprisoned workers in the Iranian regime’s jails, should receive and enjoy the same fundamental rights, as well. The Iranian regime has become a jail to all workers activists and progressive minded people and that should be stopped. We call upon you to raise your voice with us and demand the immediate and unconditional release of Reza Shahabi from jail, before it become too late. Reza Shahabi’s life and well-being is in immense danger and we hold the Iranian regime accountable for any further harm that Reza Shahabi would receive.

 Reza Shahabi’s letter to Tehran’s Attorney General

From: Reza Shahabi Zakaria

To: Mr. Abas Jafaari Dolatabbadi

Subject: Protesting illegal exile and hunger strike

 

Dr. Abas Jafaari Dolatabbadi, Attorney General of Province of Tehran

 

With greetings:

 

Respectfully reporting to you that: I, Reza Shahabi Zakaria, son of Ali, occupation driver and a member of Board of Directors and Treasury Secretary of “Bus Workers Syndicate of Tehran and Suburbs”, have been illegally incarcerated for five years now. My imprisonment is in clear violation of all international Labour laws, including Conventions number 87 and 98 of International Labour Organization which Iran is also a member of and signatory to its conventions and must abide by them as such. These conventions guarantee workers’ rights to establish independent labour organizations and the rights to election and strike. I have been sentenced to six years of imprisonment, banned from all Syndicates and any other social activities and also a fine of seven and half million toman (about three thousand dollars). All the charges against me were sham and produced by the interrogators of the 15th district of Judiciary ordered from higher up. I was unjustly convicted by Judge Salavati on these sham charges.

 

Mr. Attorney General:

 

Since my arrest and incarceration I have repeatedly protested my conditionsandthe harsh treatment I have received from prison guards and interrogators by writing many letters addressed to head of the Judiciary and you. There’s no need to repeat them here. But as a reminder I will briefly mention only a part of all the oppression and pressures that I and my family have had to endure in these years in a condensed manner:

 

As a member of Board of Directors of the syndicate, elected by workers in a general assembly, I was obliged and responsible to defend my co-workers in all matters of work conditions, issues of health and safety and all other work related matters. I have been elected as an official representative of my co-workers with a notarized power of attorney to represent their cases in Tehran’s branch of Ministry of Labour. Defending workers’ rights and demand that we live a humane and dignified life, was a task that I have wholeheartedly and tirelessly pursued.  As a result many expelled workers have got their jobs back, wages were improved and workers benefited in other cases.

 

Apparently such activities and achievements were not appreciated by many officials of the Tehran Bus Company and others; hence, on 1 June of 2009, in total disbelief I was arrested during work, in front of all passengers, accused of armed robbery. My entire house was violently searched by security agents and my whole family terrorized; with my young daughter and son crying and traumatized and my wife shocked. Security agents in civilian attire confiscated and took away all my hand writings and anything having to do with the Syndicate. I was transferred to ward 209 of Evin prison under extreme duress and psychological pressures and threats accompanied by insults, and beatings. I was held in solitary confinement for nineteen months with continuous physical and psychological pressures; As a result, the left side of my body is numb, I have had to go under surgery for my neck. At the present, I suffer from; extreme back pain, displaced spinal disks, high blood pressure, non-stop nose bleeds, liver and stomach problems and chronic headaches.

 

My family has also been subjected to psychological and emotional hardships; my children have been feeling isolated and depressed; they had difficulties continuing their education. Meanwhile my wife has taken over all the financial responsibilities of our family. In my absence she has been acting as both father and the mother for our children, making sure all their educational needs are met, while taking care of the monthly rent and providing money needed for clothing, health etc. In addition, she has been providing my monetary needs in jail and financially supporting me while I’m incarcerated  She has been able to overcome all these financial obstacle by working from home, earning an income by producing pickles for sell and also receiving helps from some of my co-workers and other  honourable labour activists and freedom-loving friends.

 

Alas after four years of incarceration, in total disbelief, and unexpectedly, I have been illegally exiled from Evin prison in Tehran to Rajaie Shahr prison in the City of Karaj. This illegal transfer which occurred during my children’s’ final exams has caused them great harm. This illegal transfer completely disregards coroners’ report on my health and is causing great harm and distress to my family, co-workers and friends.

 

It should be noted that Rajaie Shahr prison which I have been exiled to is lacking facilities that usually exist in other prisons. The solitary confinement cells in here are barely five meters (4.70 m) instead of standard twelve to fifteen meters in all solitary confinement cells, with two to three people in one cell. The only outlet is a thirty centimetres window, covered with three layers of metal mesh, which makes breathing very difficult. There’s insufficient air in the cells and breathing becomes a problem. Our access to yard is limited to two and half hours to three hours maximum, instead of morning to the evening. There are no recreational facilities, no access to books or a library for political prisoners or prisoners of conscious. There’s a total lack of health standards and a constant parade of mice and roaches throughout the prison. Medical care to prisoners is very low-quality and there’s no resources for physiotherapy or expert health care. The lack of proper food in here and also other substandard materials are a far cry from what prison regulations stipulates.

 

On top of all these problems we face inside jails, our families outside have to face an array of economic and other problems because their main income earner is in jail. Travelling to Rajaie Shahr prison is a long trip from Tehran and costly, hence our weekly meetings have turned into bi-weekly or monthly meetings.

 

Mr. Attorney General:

I, Reza Shahabi Zakaria, a driver and a member of Bus Workers’ Syndicate, due to all the circumstances and conditions described above, in protesting against the illegal and irresponsible treatments I have received and against my illegal transfer to Rajaie Shahr prison, (Also the interrogator threatened to open a new case against me on June 1, 2014, after I was exiled to Rajaie Shahr prison), and in order to draw attention of the authorities and freedom-loving people and international bodies to my plight, have begun a hunger strike, endangering my only capital despite my physical conditions and illness. Today is the 14th day of my hunger strike, and my demands are as follows:

 

1)    To be returned to the previous prison, Evin Prison, ward 350

2)    A sick leave of absence in order to have the much needed operations on my disks and recuperation (away from stresses of prison guards which always causes problems and terrorizes the nurses and doctors and other medical professionals)

3)    Implementation of the new Islamic penal code, article 134 (Aggregation Rule)

4)    Enforcement of parole

 

With thanks; Seeking justice

Reza Shahabi

Rajaie Shahr prison; Section 4; Hall 12  

14, June 2014 *

 

 

*The link to the original letter in Farsi is below. The English translation was done by the IASWI.

http://www.etehadbinalmelali.com/html_2014/26_khordad_93_shahabi.html